Lesson 1

Taking the time to plan your e-commerce website may be time consuming, but it is an essential step in the development process.
There are as many design options as there are businesses, but you want to make sure you pick the option that best meets the goals of your company. Properly planning the development and deployment of your website will increase quality and decrease development time. This module introduces you to the planning stage involved in designing your e-commerce business.By the end of this module, you will know how to:

1. Outline the process for planning and designing a site
2. Describe the steps involved in designing an e-commerce Website
3. Formulate the design goals for your e-commerce site
4. Meet your customers expectations with archetypes
5. Develop a storyboard to outline your plans
6. Assess outsourcing options for your e-commerce solution
   Throughout this course, we will use the storyboard shown below to illustrate the sequence of events occurring in e-commerce Web site development. This particular storyboard is designed to emphasize essential steps throughout this course. Each module will add to this storyboard. After you have taken a look, let's examine some of the details.

In the context of e-commerce, archetypes are reusable templates or patterns that represent common structures, behaviors, or processes within an e-commerce system. They provide a standardized way to model and design e-commerce systems, making it easier to develop, maintain, and scale them. Archetypes can be applied at various levels, including data modeling, business processes, user interactions, and system architecture.
Here is how archetypes are used for modeling the e-commerce process:
1. Data Modeling Archetypes
Data modeling archetypes define the structure and relationships of data in an e-commerce system. These archetypes help ensure consistency and scalability in managing product catalogs, customer information, orders, and transactions.
Common Data Modeling Archetypes:

• Product Archetype: Represents the structure of products, including attributes like SKU, name, description, price, and inventory.
• Customer Archetype: Defines customer-related data, such as name, email, address, and purchase history.
• Order Archetype: Models the structure of orders, including order ID, customer details, products, quantities, and payment information.
• Shopping Cart Archetype: Represents the temporary storage of items selected by a customer before checkout.
• Payment Archetype: Defines payment-related data, such as payment method, transaction ID, and status.

Example:

<archetype name="Product">
    <attribute name="SKU" type="String"/>
    <attribute name="Name" type="String"/>
    <attribute name="Price" type="Double"/>
    <attribute name="Inventory" type="Integer"/>
</archetype>

2. Business Process Archetypes
Business process archetypes represent common workflows and processes in e-commerce, such as order processing, inventory management, and customer support. These archetypes help standardize and automate repetitive tasks.
Common Business Process Archetypes:

• Order Fulfillment Archetype: Models the steps from order placement to delivery, including payment processing, inventory deduction, and shipping.
• Inventory Management Archetype: Defines processes for tracking and replenishing stock levels.
• Customer Support Archetype: Represents workflows for handling customer inquiries, returns, and complaints.
• Promotion and Discount Archetype: Models processes for applying discounts, coupons, and promotional offers.

Example:

<archetype name="OrderFulfillment">
    <step name="ReceiveOrder"/>
    <step name="ProcessPayment"/>
    <step name="UpdateInventory"/>
    <step name="ShipOrder"/>
</archetype>

3. User Interaction Archetypes
User interaction archetypes define how users (customers, admins, etc.) interact with the e-commerce system. These archetypes ensure a consistent and intuitive user experience.
Common User Interaction Archetypes:

• Product Browsing Archetype: Represents the process of searching, filtering, and viewing products.
• Checkout Archetype: Models the steps involved in completing a purchase, including cart review, payment, and confirmation.
• Account Management Archetype: Defines how users manage their profiles, orders, and preferences.
• Review and Rating Archetype: Represents the process of submitting and displaying product reviews and ratings.

Example:

<archetype name="Checkout">
    <step name="ViewCart"/>
    <step name="EnterShippingInfo"/>
    <step name="SelectPaymentMethod"/>
    <step name="ConfirmOrder"/>
</archetype>

4. System Architecture Archetypes
System architecture archetypes define the high-level structure and components of an e-commerce system. These archetypes help ensure scalability, reliability, and performance.
Common System Architecture Archetypes:

• Monolithic Archetype: Represents a single, unified application handling all e-commerce functions.
• Microservices Archetype: Models the system as a collection of loosely coupled services (e.g., product service, order service, payment service).
• Event-Driven Archetype: Defines a system where components communicate through events (e.g., order placed, payment processed).
• Cloud-Based Archetype: Represents a system designed to run on cloud infrastructure, leveraging services like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

Example:

<archetype name="Microservices">
    <service name="ProductService"/>
    <service name="OrderService"/>
    <service name="PaymentService"/>
    <service name="ShippingService"/>
</archetype>

5. Domain-Specific Archetypes
Domain-specific archetypes address unique requirements of specific e-commerce domains, such as B2B (Business-to-Business), B2C (Business-to-Consumer), or C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer).
Examples:

• B2B Archetype: Models processes like bulk ordering, contract pricing, and approval workflows.
• Marketplace Archetype: Represents a platform where multiple sellers list products, and buyers can purchase from different sellers.
• Subscription Archetype: Defines processes for managing recurring payments and subscription plans.

Benefits of Using Archetypes in E-Commerce Modeling

1. Consistency: Archetypes ensure that common patterns are applied consistently across the system.
2. Reusability: Archetypes can be reused across multiple projects, reducing development time and effort.
3. Scalability: Standardized archetypes make it easier to scale the system as the business grows.
4. Maintainability: Archetypes simplify maintenance by providing clear, well-defined structures and processes.
5. Collaboration: Archetypes serve as a common language for developers, designers, and stakeholders, improving collaboration.

Example of Archetype-Driven E-Commerce Modeling

<ecommerce-system>
    <data-model>
        <archetype ref="Product"/>
        <archetype ref="Customer"/>
        <archetype ref="Order"/>
    </data-model>
    <business-processes>
        <archetype ref="OrderFulfillment"/>
        <archetype ref="InventoryManagement"/>
    </business-processes>
    <user-interactions>
        <archetype ref="ProductBrowsing"/>
        <archetype ref="Checkout"/>
    </user-interactions>
    <system-architecture>
        <archetype ref="Microservices"/>
    </system-architecture>
</ecommerce-system>

Conclusion Archetypes provide a powerful way to model e-commerce processes by standardizing common patterns and structures. By leveraging archetypes, businesses can build robust, scalable, and maintainable e-commerce systems that deliver a seamless experience to customers and streamline internal operations.